When your projects start piling up, meeting all your deadlines can seem like a daunting task. Juggling multiple projects without a method of keeping track of them or keeping up with them is a recipe for disaster, resulting in missed deadlines and opportunities. Get on track to meet all of your deadlines by trying out some of these different methods.
Set a Separate Deadline
One simple and easy way to make sure you stick to your work deadlines is to set a separate one for yourself. If your proposal is supposed to be on your boss's desk by Friday morning, tell yourself it is due Thursday morning. Set this time as the due date in your calendar and set reminders (many email/calendar programs allow you to set these up easily). Doing this will have one of two results, either you'll be finished early and can spend some extra time revising or you'll be able to crank it out by the deadline if you happen to procrastinate.
Break Up Large Projects into Small Goals
Nothing makes meeting a deadline scarier than having a large, important project on the line. Break it down into small, manageable tasks that you can tackle one at a time. Once you figure out a good way to divide the project up, set yourself deadlines for each bit of it. This will make the overall project less daunting and give you easy stopping points if you don't want to finish it all in one day.
Write it Down
We've all been there, you either miss or almost miss a work deadline because you completely forgot about the project. One way to prevent this is to write down the projects you're working on and keep a running tab with where you are in the process. You can make these as simple or complex as you want, it just depends on your work and organizational style.
The Buddy System
Does one of you coworkers also struggle with staying on top of deadline? Become accountability buddies and help each other stay on top of your work load. This can be as simple as letting each other know when you have a big deadline approaching and giving each other updates on your projects. Having someone to check in with will not only give you accountability, but will also allow you to visualize what you have left to do.
When you stay on top of your work deadlines, you not only get everything finished on time but you also show your professionalism. How do you say on top of your deadlines?